Created in May 2015 through the merger of Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Education, and Springer Science+Business Media, Springer Nature Group has started writing its business history nearly two centuries ago, focusing on advancing discovery throughout all this time. A leading global research, educational, and professional publisher, the group prides itself on high-quality content and scientifically accurate stories trusted by millions of professionals.

Wanting to highlight how impactful its stories are, the group teamed up with creative agency Designhouse for the launch of a new campaign, “Story Source.” Without compromising the stories’ scientific facts — which are often presented through data and statistical details — the London-based agency opted for an artistic approach, defining Springer Nature’s spirit by turning facts into a vibrant video campaign.

“We wanted our Story Source campaign to bring our community’s stories to life in a more dynamic and engaging way than we had done previously, showing the true value of what Springer Nature brings to its audience,” says Matt Harvey, Brand Director, of Springer Nature Group.

Centered around the power of storytelling from research pioneers across the world, Story Source was implemented to consolidate the company’s reputation amongst its global audience, which consists of researchers, librarians, funders, educators, and policymakers, and also to strengthen the publisher’s position as a reliable resource the audience can access. Supporting the need for more digestible and accurate science, the campaign reimagines some of the Group’s inspiring stories and visually expresses them through eye-catching short films, developed following a collage-like design style.

Designhouse’s biggest challenge in bringing the project to life was to find a way to still express the scientific content in the form of visuals that had to be dynamic and emotionally engaging. The team identified a series of inspiring stories from across the Group’s community and translated them as animated collages, symbolically indicating the pivotal role the brand plays in delivering great research to the world.

The research stories identified by the team span from paleontology in Egypt and oil-well methane leaks in the US to the fight against global infectious diseases led by a crew in China and a sneak peek at the Group’s own input into solving world food shortages. The first two research tales available for the audience are “Digging for bones” and “Filling in the gaps.”

Matthew Gillman, Design Director at Designhouse, continued: “Often, the impact and power of the scientific discoveries were too easily lost within statistical details and data. Our creative challenge was to bring the research to life through the power of storytelling. The visual approach employs a collage of mediums, from type to illustration, imagery, and more. The approach is very versatile, catering for a wide range of stories whilst ensuring consistency throughout the collection. We are delighted with the outcome and are excited to develop the next films.”

The agency beautifully captured the brand’s essence, expressing the valuable resources it brings to the public. “Designhouse helped us get there with all the creativity, energy, and ideas they brought to the project. We can’t wait to work on the next phase of the campaign,” says Harvey.

Trailers, individual videos, and a summary video are included in the campaign, which also consists of interactive PDFs and digital banners. The Group’s website and social media will host the videos, which are expected to be rolled out across 2022.

Credits:

Client: Springer Nature Group

Agency: Designhouse